Legislation

ByLacey Johnson |March 20, 2019

Some laws can make life exceptionally difficult for homeless and runaway youth. Whether it’s requiring parental consent to receive health care or demanding proof of residency to obtain a photo ID, unfriendly policies have left many service providers feeling frustrated and powerless to help. A small national nonprofit based in Washington is working to change that.

ByLacey Johnson |December 13, 2018

Congress reauthorized a key juvenile justice bill today, handing a win to youth advocates who have fought to update the legislation for more than a decade.
The House backed the Senate’s version of the bill Thursday morning, sending it to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign. The Senate unanimously approved a five-year reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) on Tuesday night using a fast-track procedure that requires the support of every senator.

ByAlexandra Mallick and Kate Chatfield |August 8, 2018

The current attempt to amend the felony murder rule in California has been a multiyear effort. This work, like all our work, was borne out of our personal experiences with clients, incarcerated individuals and family members with loved ones serving life sentences under this antiquated doctrine. This rule represented to us an injustice that deserved a remedy.

ByMatt Smith |June 6, 2018

An Arkansas congressman has introduced legislation that would end life without parole for juveniles locked up in the federal prison system and give inmates facing those sentences a chance at eventual release.

ByBill Myers |December 15, 2017

Legislation that would update and overhaul the nation’s juvenile justice system has stalled over a single Republican senator’s concern over whether youths should be jailed for violating certain court orders.

ByJohn Holland |June 20, 2017

More than five years of lobbying, arm twisting and a fair dose of shaming finally paid off. North Carolina voted Monday to end its status as the only state in the country that still automatically charges 16-year-olds as adults, no matter the crime.